I don’t know about you, but more than anything, I wanted an Easy Bake Oven as a kid. One of my friends in the neighborhood had one so I did get to play with hers on occasion. I ran into this mini donut maker (Babycakes) a few years ago and instantly fell in love!
We usually pull it out over the holidays but with all the cooking we were doing it just sat there on the shelf neglected and forgotten. So, this past Sunday, while watching the Golden Globes, my husband and I enjoyed these yummy, gluten-free mini donuts, topped with a rich apricot coconut cream.
If you haven’t tried chestnut flour I highly encourage you to order a bag or two. It’s imported from Italy, nutty, earthy, and slightly sweet, and can be combined with other gluten-free flours or enjoyed by itself. It contains more starch, which gives your baked goods more spring and fluff, yet low in fat. I get a bit nostalgic using it because we always roasted chestnuts during the holidays growing up, but I didn’t try the actual flour until I was an adult. It can also substitute whole wheat flour when baking quick breads, muffins, pancakes, crepes, and scones. Castagnaccio is probably the most popular recipe made with chestnut flour in Tuscany, which is a thin unleavened rustic cake, sometimes flavored with pine nuts, raisins, and rosemary, and served with espresso. Of course, what isn’t served with espresso in Italy? It was often prepared by peasant farmers since chestnuts were plentiful in the mountainous areas of this region. One thing to be aware of when using chestnut flour in baking is that it quickly absorbs your spices, so you’ll see this recipe has a small amount of spice but a big flavor.
Stay tuned for more chestnut flour recipes in your future, and please let me know if you make this recipe…or go out and buy one of these nifty kitchen toys!
- 1 cup chestnut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ½ cup apple sauce
- ½ cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
- ½ cup apricot jam
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Sift the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl mix the wet ingredients with a fork.
- Add the wet to the dry and continue mixing with a fork until well combined.
- You'll need about 1-1.5 tablespoons of batter for the donut maker for each donut.
- Follow the instructions in the manual for cooking times, but it's generally about 3-5 minutes.
- *If baking in the oven with a donut pan, it's about 13 minutes at 350° F, and you'll need closer to 2 tablespoons of batter per donut.
- Let cool completely.
- Skim the cream off the top of the can of coconut milk and transfer to a medium bowl.
- Add the vanilla and beat with a hand/stand mixer until it resembles whipped cream.
- Gently fold in the apricot jam, then refrigerate for about 1 hour to let it set.
- Top each donut with the cream and serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
- You can make these with a mini donut pan and bake in the oven for about 13 minutes. Make sure you grease the pan well.
Will almond flour work for this recipe?
Hi Joanne!
I haven’t tried almond flour for this recipe. I’ll be making more donuts and will let you know if I give it a try. Thanks for emailing.
This is a great recipe! I love the mini donut maker. My daughter has digestive issues with gluten, and so this will be a good treat for her. Can’t wait to try this.
Thank you Millican! They really are fun to make. Enjoy!